“I felt lawmakers’ actions during debate and discussion on the bill were disrespectful to the students she represents.” TSU Student Government Association Vice President Chrishonda O’Quinn. photo by Don Mooney
by Don Mooney
Nashville, TENN—A termed used by Black political insiders the “Boston of the South,” Tennessee House Republicans on Thursday voted to vacate the entire Tennessee State University board over the outcries of Democrats as the GOP supermajority reneged on a previous deal struck in committee to keep three of the board’s 10 members.
“Tennessee State University is a remarkable institution and my administration, in partnership with the General Assembly, is committed to ensuring students are being served,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “I’m pleased to appoint these highly qualified individuals who will work alongside administrators and students to further secure TSU’s place as a leading institution.”
photo courtesy of the Tennessean
A $2-million external forensic audit, commissioned by legislators and released on Thursday,found no instances of fraud or malfeasance at the historically Black university in Nashville, though it noted a 250% increase in scholarships at TSU between 2019 and 2023 was not sustainable. The scholarship and enrollment boom led to critical housing shortages on campus.
Democrats continually point to decades of historic underfunding of TSU, the only public HBCU in the state, arguing TSU has not been set up for success in stark contrast to other public universities with historically white student bodies. Recent data from the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture calculated Tennessee underfunded TSU at a whopping $2.1 billion over the past 30 years. The Senate passed the measure in a 25-6 vote after only five minutes of discussion. All six senators who voted against the bill were Democrats.
The bill has stirred intense controversy over $2.1 billion in historic underfunding of TSU by the state and disparities in how TSU has been treated by lawmakers. University leaders have pleaded with lawmakers to extend the current board and allow it to build upon the progress it has made in the last year.
The following individuals, alums of TSU, have been appointed:
- Trevia Chatman, President, Bank of America Memphis
- Jeffery Norfleet, Provost and Vice President for Administration, Shorter College
- Marquita Qualls, Founder and Principal, Entropia Consulting
- Terica Smith, Deputy Mayor and Director of Human Resources, Madison County
- Charles Traughber, General Counsel, Division of Real Estate, Retail, and Financial Services at Bridgestone Americas
- Dwayne Tucker, CEO of LEAD Public Schools
- Kevin Williams, President and CEO of GAA Manufacturing
- Dakasha Winton, Senior Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
photo courtesy of the Tennessean
After the vote, local activists and students from TSU held a news conference at the state Capitol to express their disapproval of the vote. TSU Student Government Association Vice President Chrishonda O’Quinn said she felt lawmakers’ actions during debate and discussion on the bill were disrespectful to the students she represents.
“I am very upset that decisions have been made about the university without anyone having direct conversation with the main stakeholders of the university — the students.” O’Quinn said. “They say they love TSU, they say they want to see TSU succeed, but their actions don’t match what they’re saying … If you love TSU, treat TSU as such.”